FACT mix 622: Ploy

Back in the early-2010s, Samuel Smith was finishing off a music technology course when he hit upon a sound that finally resonated. Recording under the decidedly spare moniker Samuel, he fashioned a slew of deep house variations for the Idle Hands-curated BRSTL label, Not So Much and Beats in Space, but his sound was still in a state of flux.

When another artist sporting the same name emerged, Smith ditched Samuel in favor of Ploy, referencing the classic Maurizio track. At the time, he was gaining traction as a member of the Timedance crew; Smith had studied with Batu at university and in 2016 put out the ‘Iron Lungs’ 12″ on Timedance and ‘Sala One Five’ on Hessle Audio.

His considered sound was right in line with a scene that was thoughtfully reshaping what dance music could sound like after dubstep and minimal techno had ruled for so long. Using familiar Bristol tropes – dusty kicks, haunting atmospheres and deep bass – Smith helped build up the Timedance sound, solidifying it with this year’s ‘Intrigued by the Drum’ 12″.

Ploy’s FACT mix is a good example of how it’s done – he kicks off with Beatrice Dillon’s alarmingly good edit of ‘Footprints in Solid Rock’, quickly making the time to nod to Bristol don Peverelist before rattling through tracks from A Made Up Sound, Jimmy Edgar and Point G. DJ Screw’s wobbly ‘My Mind Went Blank’ even makes an appearance before the time’s up.

Ploy’s next 12″, Unruly, will be released on November 17 via Hemlock Recordings.